My Photography Equipment Trials On My Trip To Virgin Gorda BVI

In 2019 I recorded a video in which I shared 4 things you should do before going on a photography field trip.  To read my blog post, CLICK HERE

Recently I went on a sponsored road trip to Virgin Gorda, British Virgin Islands.  I had everything organized, or so I thought.  I packed my camera, made sure the battery was fully charged.  I even packed my car charger for my cell phone.  As back up, I packed my EOS Canon camera with a brand new SD memory card.

The type of video that I recorded:  I clipped my cell phone holder onto the dashboard of the vehicle then inserted the cell phone into the holder.  As we drove, I recorded the route.  The problem here was even though the phone was full charged, it did not have enough memory space.  These types of videos are pretty long so their took up quite a bit of memory space on the phone.  Before long all the memory space on the phone was used up.

So I turned to my back up - EOS Canon camera the only thing was I had to hold the camera in my hand to do the recording which was very unsteady.  What I ended up doing was, as we stopped occasionally, I would get some short video footages.  This was working well until ....  guess what?

The camera battery needed charging and I did not have a back up battery.

Maybe I should have go get a device where I can transfer my files from my phone to a external hard drive.

Photography In The Old West - Arizona Ghostriders

I have been a follower of the YouTube channel Arizona Ghostriders for a while now.  The content is always entertaining, thoroughly researched and informative.  As a photographer I am interested in knowing how photographs were taken in the old west so I submitted a comment with my question to Santee, the YouTube creator of the channel.  He finally answered my question in the video below.

How To Set Self Timer Option On Canon EOS M100 Camera

So in this blog post I am going to demonstrate how to set up the self timer option on your Canon EOS M100 camera so you can take your own photoshoot😉😉

Turn on your camera and click on the menu option click on option 6.  Here you will find the following options: 

• Drive Mode
• Self Timer 
• Keep Setting 

Select the self timer.  Under this option there are four sub options, the first being the OFF option.  The second option give you 10 seconds - allowing you time to position yourself in front of the camera - before taking a shot.  The third option gives you two seconds before taking a shot.  The last and fourth option gives you ten seconds before taking three conservative shots.

Select your desired option and press lightly on the shutter button and the camera will begin to beep.  While this is happening you can 'strike' your favorite pose and the camera will take a photo after the seconds passed based on the option you chose.

With this camera and its flip up screen, this self timer feature is great to take some really awesome selfies.

Canon EOS M100 - Memory Card Error

In latest latest trip to Trinidad and Tobago my home country, I was about to capture some footage and realized that I was unable to take any photos or videos.  My camera was coming on but I just could not take out any videos or photos.  When i got home I thoroughly checked my camera and still had the same problem.  I became very concerned.

When I put on the camera the message I got was MEMORY CARD ERROR which implied that something was wrong with the memory card.  I looked at the card closely and realized that the tip of the card was broken and might have gotten stuck in the memory card compartment which is quite small and I was unable to see if anything was stuck in it.

I decided to purchased a new memory card while I was in Trinidad and to my surprise it did not work in the camera.  There were times, the damaged card worked and times it did not work - I was able to take out photos.  I looked online to see if I could find videos with information that could help me but I did not find anything that helped.

My next step was to take my camera to one of my local store that sells camera accessories to see if they could help me.  To make a short story long I ended up buying another memory card which worked great in my camera.  I am so happy I was becoming very concerned about my Canon EOS M100 Camera.  

You might also be interested in my blog post about waterproof memory card carrying case

Time Lapse Footage Creating 2019 Vision Board

Check out this cool time lapse that I recorded with my Canon EOS M100 camera 👍👍👍📸

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What Is Time Lapse?

Its a technique of taking a sequence of frames at set intervals to record changes that take place slowly over time. When the frames are shown at normal speed the action seems much faster.

How To Set Up Canon EOS M100 Camera To Record Time Lapse

My New Canon EOS M100 Camera Review

I had to get a desire for a new camera for a while now and initially my intention was to get a white Canon A5100.  Why a white one?  I just found that it looked so cool even though in one video review, the reviewer said that the camera got dirty quite quickly.  

As the time grew closer when I was able to get a new camera, I did more research and found out that the Canon A5100 over heats after using it for a few minutes.  This was also confirmed by one of my fellow Trinidadian YouTubers.  So I decided to look for another camera that has the same features as the Canon A5100 - a flip up screen, compact camera, auto focuses and record videos.

I have a Nikon D60 but it does not have a video recording feature.  A popular Youtuber recommended the Canon EOS M100 camera and the reviews were generally good so I purchased a bundle from Amazon. In the bundle there was a mini tripod, camera bag, macro filters, filters, lens pen, and the box with Canon EOS M100 Camera.

In the camera box, it had a camera strap, 15-45mm lens, battery, battery charger and of course a manual.

I am very happy with my purchase.  I am already seeing the difference in my videos.  They are of better quality.  One of my subscribers even noticed the difference in quality and asked me about it.  

It has a time lapse feature which is super cool.  I have already taken a few time lapse footage and plan to take some more.  it is not as bulky as my Nikon DSLR and I can change the lens whenever I want to.  I recently traveled to Trinidad and Tobago, my home country, and put my camera in a cross body baby which is not that big.

One thing though, when I am using the flip screen to record a video of myself, I tend to look at the flip up screen instead of looking into the lens.  The end result is you will see me looking up instead of looking at the camera.  I have to work on that.  

The audio is excellent but it does not have a port for an external mic which I think is not needed.

How To Set Up Canon EOS M100 Camera To Record A Time Lapse

Review Bullyeyes Phone Lens Attachment #bullyeyeslens

These photos were taken with the macro lens attached

This next photo was taken the ultra wide lens attached

Without any lens attached

Nikon Speedlight SB-700

 

I collected my Nikon Speedlight SB-700 flash yesterday.  I had it shipped from Boolchand (in addition to selling jewellery, they sell cameras and accessories) in St. Thomas.  Cost $325.00!!!  About two months ago I purchased another cheap (less than $100.00) flash (Yongnuo Speedlite YN560) but it was not a Nikon and I am yet to figure out how to take good photos with it.  The photos had alot of light and I was not satisfied.

I met a gentleman a few weeks ago and we were taking about photography and we were discussing this same matter and he advised that I should made the investment and get the Nikon Speedlight SB-700.  Well I can tell you right now I am very pleased.  I did a few test yesterday in areas where the lighting is very minimal and the photos were great! Note:  I have not read the manuel nor have I made any adjustment to the flash or camera.

Also with the other flash it was not stable on the camera but with the Nikon SB-700, there is a lever on the flash that allows me to stabilise it on the camera.

It is always advisable to purchase accessories like flash and lens that are manufactured by the same company that made the camera.

Results Of British Virgin Islands Photo Competition 2012

Wow I am in cloud nine! A few weeks ago, I did a post about a photo competition being held by the BVI Tourist Board to which I submitted four of my photos - one for each Amateur category. The Amateur photographer categories were Landscape, Culture, Historical and Miscellaneous. Well I am proud to say that my submission to the Historical category was awarded the first prize and the for the Landscape Category got Third Place! The others were given Special Mention.

The official opening of the exhibition was held on November 12, 2012, for the photos that were short listed and won prizes in their particular category. I invited a few of my family and friends. It was a very special moment for me.

Category Historical: St. Philips Anglican Church

Category landscape:  Replanting of Mangrove Trees

Photos Submitted to Photo Competition

Fluffy, The Dog, My New Friend

This is Fluffy my new friend.  He belongs to my neighbor and most times when he hears activities upstairs (his home is in the downstairs apartment), he will come upstairs and look for me.  Initially, he stayed away from me until I made friends with him.  I allowed him to come close to me and get my scent.  I was then able to pat his head and massage him a bit under his neck.  He likes that!  Is fur feels very course.

Most times he would approach me with his head bowed down and I would raise his head so I can look him in the eyes.  Now when he sees me he will give out a little cry and run towards me - I can tell he is happy to see me - makes me feel real special!  He is so funny, there a few wild chickens around our home and he enjoys running after the chickens.  Of course this will scare them but he means no harm.  I think this is his form of daily exercise.

The bad thing about this new friendship though is every time I make friends with my neighbor's dog, eventually I miss them and when I inquire about them, I would be told that the dog died.  I had planned to stay from Fluffy but ...  I love dogs.

November 1, 2012

After my early morning walk yesterday, I realized that I did not see my friend for a few days so I decided to go look for him.  I saw him lying in an open area close to his home.  Some how he noticed me and began to approach with uncertainty but he kept on coming closer until he was at my feet.  Well I can't express how I felt.  I never experienced this before - I am not the owner of this dog, I never fed him but I think he likes my friendship.  He left where he was and came towards me - remember he was a good distance from me.  Wow it was a special moment for me, this is a really special animal.

March 3, 2013

My friend Fluffy died today!  It is a sad day for his family and me as well.  He was well cherished and loved.  I really don't know what happened - maybe he was ate something that was not good for him.  I was hoping that he would  have time to been seen by a vet today. But I guess it was too late.  Good bye my friend!!!!

Moko Jumbie Sticks British Virgin Islands

Ever seen the sticks that the Moko Jumbies walk on?  Well here they are.  I saw them at the car wash in Greenland, Tortola while I was having my vehicle washed yesterday.  These sticks were used at the August Festival in East End, Tortola August 8, 2012.  I think that the people who choose to learn to walk on these are very brave and talented.

The second photo reminds of a shoe display at a show store!

Here are a group of Moko Jumbies aka Stick Walkers waiting to do their thing at the East End (Tortola BVI) parade on Wednesday August 8,2012

Photos taken with Nikon D60 DSLR Camera

Now I Forgot My Memory Card

I did a post before about making sure that your camera battery is fully charged before going on a photo session.  Now a few days a go I went into town and took my camera bag with me - ready for any thing.  It so happened that when I was relaxing at the cruise ship dock, Road Town Tortola, I heard some music playing and realized that there was a parade for the Queen's birthday (it was a public holiday).  I took out my camera and attempted to take a few shots in preparation for takings pictures of the parade.

I realized that nothing was happening.  On checking my camera, I remembered that I did not return the memory card from my computer to the camera!

Previously I would download my photos by connecting the camera to my computer with the USB. Now I just remove the memory card and insert into my computer. Downloading my photos this way, I find I forget to put back the memory card into the camera if I do not do it right after I have completed downloading the photos.

Insure Your Camera Gear

I purchased some more camera accessories and they arrived a few days ago.  I got an extra memory card for my Nikon D60 camera and a larger one for my Kodak Easyshare picture frame.  I also got some extra memory card cases, a UV filter to put on my other camera lens and an air duster to clean my laptop.  Many people think that UV filter are unnecessary and they definitely would not put a cheap UV filter on their camera equipment.  I basically use them as protection for glass of my camera lens.  It is really all a matter of choice.

Even though the size of majority of the items (that I purchased) were quite small the duty was a bit high, almost more than the cost of the items themselves.  I had to query the cost of the duty with my agent and she verified that the charges were correct.

After I received this shipment (my last shipment was a camera bag), I realized that I am spending quite a bit of money on my passion - photography and it dawned on me that I really need to think about securing my investment.  Insure my camera gear.  I am presently doing my researching by getting some quotes from a few of my local insurance companies.

Camera Battery Not Charged AGAIN!!!

I did it again!!!  I went on a hike/photo shoot on Monday and when I arrived at my destination Sage Mountain National Park, I checked the contents of my new camera bag only to realized that the camera battery needed charging!!!!  There was not even charge to take a few pictures.  I was determined to do the photo walk that day because I had been planning it for a few days well.

I returned home, had some thing to eat while the battery charged. I returned to Sage Mountain National Park and did my photo walk/hike.  The area is forested and very shaded so even though it was day light, my flash came on every time I took a picture.  With the pictures, the background was very dark and I was not very pleased with the results.

In this photo below, my focus was on the moss on the trunk of this very old tree.  As you can see the background is very dark.

My next camera gear purchase will be an external flash.  I will have to do a search in Amazon, and add it to my Wish List and start External Flash savings.

I am expecting to collect a payment from Infolinks (one of my passive incomes) so this will be the start of my external flash savings!

My First Trip On Speedy's Ferry To Virgin Gorda British Virgin Islands

I finally took a trip on Speedy's ferry to Virgin Gorda on Friday.  Ever since this ferry began its service, I dreamed about travelling on this catamaran.  I have since gone on three private sailing trips on different catamarans that my son captained and I have traveled to St. Thomas on the Road Town Fast Ferry which are also catamaran.

There was no difference in my trip on Speedy's catamaran but I just wanted to be able to say that I had the experience of travelling on this boat.

My New Lowepro Slingshot 202Aw

I received my Lowepro Slingshot 202 AW camera bag last night.  It is beautiful!  Of course I purchase my camera bag from Amazon.  Again I must emphasise that Amazon has great service! 

I am so excited to put my bag in action.  Right away I packed all my camera gear in my new Lowepro Slingshot 202AW camera bag and I threw away my other bags.  I must highlight one thing about the bag that caught my attention, it has a built in cover for the bag so when it is raining for example, you can pull out this cover and wrap it around the bag so all the gear will be protected.  This is a really cool and thoughtful feature.

I took these photos this morning to do this post.  I placed my packed Lowepro Slingshot 202AW on my ironing board which has a very colourful cover.  I thought that the photos had too much colour that distracted from the focus of the bag.  So I decided to do some photo editing - selective greyscale and I went to my regular online photo editor PhotoBucket.  To my great surprise, Photobucket has done quite a bit of changes to the application and I could not find their selective greyscale feature!  I panicked!

So I decided to check out Picasa Web Albums to see what photo editor features they offer and I got another surprise!  I was able to apply selective greyscale AND add a watermark to my photos.  I am a super happy camper!!!!

On my next day off which should be over the weekend or maybe early next week, I will be going a photo walk at Sage Mountain Natural Park Trust.  I can't wait to see what awesome photos I can get there.  Last time  went there I did not take my camera with me because I did not have the appropriate bag to put my gear in.  NOW I DO!!!

Breakfast From The Coffee Shop At Trellis Bay, Beef Islands, British Virgin Islands

I bought this egg sandwich for breakfast a few mornings ago at the D' Best Cup Coffee Shop Trellis Bay, Beef Island.  I like getting my cappuccino there and occasionally I get this sandwich.  It consists of eggs, bacon, sausage, lettuce and tomatoes on a mini baguette. The mistake I made the last time I had this sandwich was to have the sausage. It is those mini sausages that I really do not like because they are very oily.

The cost of these sandwiches are $8.50.  I have been buying them without really thinking about the price.  Then it struck me one day that these sandwiches are too expensive.  I don't really buy them that often but look at this, I can get a chicken roti for $7.00 from the grocery store that is two buildings away from the coffee shop.  The ladies at the Coffee Shop are quite friendly and helpful.

Black and White Photography

I like to try different techniques I decided to try my hand at Black and White Photography.  My first attempt was to try and change a color photo to black and white.  My first attempt was with Photobucket because I know that they have a greyscale feature.  But when I applied the feature to one of my photo, I thought that it looked flat - had no depth.

So after some more research, I learnt that a color photo can be simply changed to black and white by pressing a button on certain digital cameras.  Cool!  I tried doing this with some of my photos that were on my camera but from what I saw on my camera monitor I was not pleased.

I recently found this online photo editor, Pho.to, and it has some really great features.  Changing a color photo to black and white is one of the features available!  I did my text with the photo below.  First I used the Quick Enhancement feature to sharpen the colours and THEN I clicked on the Black and White option. 

I spent quite some time trying these steps out until I got a result that I was satisfied with.

Now you may be probably wondering why would someone choose to go back to black and white photos.  Well some photographers actually prefer digital black and white photos and there is a particular type of art in these types of photos.  

Pho.to A Great Free Online Photo Editor

I recently had a 13th beach birthday party photography job and after the event I had to  edit some of the photos because some of the photos had a sort of a white wash even though it was a beautiful, bright sunny day.  Also some of the people wore white clothing and I noticed that in some of the photos, the background was a bit white so it clashed with the white clothing.

I thought about doing some color enhancement and did a search on the internet, Google of course!  I found this online photo editor - Pho.to.

Pho.to is just awesome.  In this post I want to show you an example of how I used this application. 

I did not have to register to use the application and it is free.  My email address was not required either.

This first photo is quite pale (a kind of white wash) so I uploaded it to Pho.to and simply clicked the Quick Enhancement button.

I waited a few seconds and this is the result!  I can now see the beauty in the photo.  The rocks have come alive - such great color.  I am very pleased with the results.

As a matter of fact, at my meeting with my client who hired me to do the photography at her daughter's 13th birthday party, she indicated which one of the photos that she really liked and it was one of the photos that I enhanced using this Pho.to!!!

Photos taken with my Nikon D60 DSLR camera

Photography Job For Friends Daughter Birthday

A friend of mine called me a few minutes ago and informed me that she is having a birthday party for her daughter on Saturday January 21, 2012 and she would like me to be the photographer for the event.  I have a Facebook page for my photography and I am always uploading my photos to the Facebook page.  My friend has commented a few times that she really likes my work.  She highlighted this fact again today.

So I decided that now is the time for me to do this project the correct way.   I am going to create an electronic file (maybe keep a ‘hard copy’ as well) with my client’s basic information such as:  name, address, email address, phone number etc.  My friend asked me how much I would charge her and I told her that I would have to think about it and get back to her.  Of course I Googled the topic and wrote this article about it.

The next formal thing is to set up a meeting so the event can be discussed thoroughly with the client.  Information needed is location and time of the event and most importantly, fee.  As the information is being acquired, it should be noted.  It is also a good idea to discuss with the client exactly what is required.  This is an important note especially if the event is a wedding.  Remember that these events cannot be recaptured so it is so important to prepare yourself for any unforeseen circumstances.

The opportunity should be taken to request for permission to use some of the photos for your portfolio.  In my case, my website.

Prior to the event, make a trip to the location and see where everything is located and mentally identify spots where great pictures can be taken. 

The day before the event, check your equipment.  Ensure that the battery for your camera is fully charged.  If you have an extra battery, pack it in your camera bag.  It is always good to have a back-up plan.  My memory card can hold quite a lot of pictures but it also advisable to have a spare one in your camera bag.  Clean your camera lens.  I have a 55-200mm lens, so I will be taking this with me as well.  Presently I am experiencing problems with my night photos so I will also be taking my Pentax point and shoot camera.  It has a feature for night photos, so I plant to take it with me to test how good it is. 

As a matter of fact I will do a test prior to the effect so I know the type of results I am going to get.  At the event is not the time to be doing any testing.

Now your camera bag is all packed and ready so on the day of the event, all you have to do is to grab your bag and go.

After the event the photos will have to be downloaded onto your computer and review and edited.  The ones that are not satisfactory should be deleted or just not given to the client.  Printing the photos are quite expensive so the best solution for both parties involved is to copy the photos on a CD for the client, that they can print the photos of their choice.  In addition to the CD, a contact sheet can be printed and given to the client.  This information has to be relayed to the client.